


The Devil You Know

by ThoseDaysThatWill



Series: The Organizations [8]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Organized Crime, Connor is just trying to unite Canada, Edmonton Oilers, Implied Death, Implied Violence, Lots of Angst, M/M, Taylor has a weakness for pretty brunettes, both of these facts get them in a lot of trouble, dancers and escorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-10-29 21:29:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20803262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThoseDaysThatWill/pseuds/ThoseDaysThatWill
Summary: Nothing that happened had been Taylor's fault, not really anyway. He had a very comfortable life in Edmonton, with a very comfortable business and a very comfortable fiancé whom he loved. He would have been content to have those things and nothing more. And yes, technically the Winnipeg incident was his fault, but Connor did overreact just a little. Maybe Taylor deserved what happened, maybe he didn't, but he wouldn't have done things differently even if he could go back.





	The Devil You Know

**Author's Note:**

> Credit and/or blame for this idea (and really this whole thing) goes to Hannah. 💜
> 
> All mistakes are my own, but yo, it's an AU, roll with it.

Nothing that happened had been Taylor's fault, not really anyway. He had a very comfortable life in Edmonton, with a very comfortable business and a very comfortable fiancé whom he loved. He would have been content to have those things and nothing more. And yes, _technically _the Winnipeg incident was his fault, but Connor did overreact just a little. Maybe Taylor deserved what happened, maybe he didn't, but he wouldn't have done things differently even if he could go back.

The whole thing started when trouble literally fell in his lap. Up until that point, he had been enjoying the evening. Periodically, he took Ryan out to one of their clubs to check on business and enjoy the shows. The dancers on this particular night had been fair, and Tyler had made a note that they needed to hire better ones. That was until a particularly pretty brunette took the stage. Taylor couldn't take his eyes off him. Ryan called the manager over, telling him to send that one to their table when he was finished. Ryan had always indulged Taylor's whims, maybe too much. He was secure in his position, the rest didn't bother him.

The lapdance was exceptionally good, but Taylor kept his hands to himself, as was his club's policy. That was until a burst of foreign language from the bar startled the dancer so much that he dropped into Taylor's lap, with just a little too much force for his current situation. "_Fuck!_" He grabbed the guy by the hips to ease him up a little and felt that he was _shaking_. He glanced over to the disturbance at the bar and though he didn't recognize the suits that were arguing, he could tell their type easily enough. He gestured the dancer to sit beside him and he stood. "Stay here." He ordered, before heading over to meet the men.

He focused on the one that seemed to be doing the most blustering, hoping he spoke at least some English, "I own this place, and you seem to be disturbing my guests."

The man spoke with a heavy accent, "We are looking for dancer." Taylor guessed it to be German, but it sounded slightly different than the German he'd heard from Leon. Not that he'd had many long and drawn out conversations with him, but hearing German in Edmonton wasn't all that unusual since the deal Connor had made with them. Taylor knew a few words, but he hoped he wouldn't have to use them in this conversation, they weren't all that friendly.

"I have a lot of dancers. Did you want a table?" He gestured to an open table close to the stage.

The man shook his head, "Nei. We are looking for dancer that is... _late _for ‘meeting’ with my boss.”

Taylor raised an eyebrow, “One of _my_ dancers? Any private shows with them go through _my_ agency. I’ll call Sam, so we can verify this booking and I'm sure we can get everything settled.” He moved his hand towards his pocket and saw both of the silent men’s hands move towards their guns. Taylor slowly showed them his phone, and watched them relax a little. Touchy sorts, clearly.

The man waved that off, "He is... _friend_ of my boss. He need to come with us. I will find him, we will leave."

If the dancer worked for someone else, using his club as a way to hide was only going to bring trouble down on Taylor, trouble he didn't want to deal with. "You have a name for this guy?"

The man took out his phone, showing him a picture. It was exactly what he thought, the dancer that was probably still sitting at his table with Ryan. He had felt _fear_ coming from the guy and he didn't like that. His gut was telling him he couldn't let these gorillas take him. He didn't know why, he wasn't usually a charity case kind of person, but there was something going on here, something he didn't like.

Taylor shook his head, "Never seen him. And I'd know. He's not one of mine."

The man frowned, "He is seen here."

Taylor shook his head again, this time unbuttoning his jacket, the butt of his gun clearly visible. It might have looked like three on one, but this was his place, and he knew he had more backup than he'd need, if this got violent. "You have the wrong place, my friend. Now, did you want to watch the show, or did you want to leave?"

The man turned to his compatriots and grumbled in German, most of which Taylor couldn't understand, but he did catch one thing: Härr Streit. _Fuck_. That was not an enemy he was prepared to make, not over a dancer. If these guys really answered to the top boss in Switzerland, and they decided to get pushy with him, he was in deep shit. He knew full well that Connor was _not_ going to understand getting into a pissing match with a European power (even one that small) over one dancer. Finally the man looked back to Taylor, "We must have wrong club."

Taylor nodded and watched them leave. Only then did he let out the breath he'd been holding. He glanced back to his table to see Ryan's eyes locked on him and he could all but read his mind. What had he done? And why? He couldn't answer. He ordered a bottle of wine to be brought to his table and headed back that way. He could see that the dancer was still sitting in his seat, but his eyes were glued to the floor, he didn't even look up when Taylor sat down. "Explain what just happened," he ordered.

The dancer took in a deep breath and looked up at him, "They came to take me back." His accent wasn't as heavy as the men's but had the same lilt, the same German but not quite. "I am... Swiss. I leave home because...." He sighed again, "They tell me when I come here, it is better if I don't say why."

Taylor gave a short laugh at that. He wasn't the least bit surprised that Sam didn't want to hear his story. But it wasn't for the reasons this guy was assuming. Taylor knew that if Sam got wind of the situation he was in, he'd want to _help _him. Over the years, he'd run into too much trouble trying to help down and out idiots that didn't appreciate what he'd done for them and it always ended up biting him in the ass in the end. He'd learned that the hard way in London. Nowadays he said that ignorance was bliss and Taylor was beginning to realize he had something there. "You can tell me." He heard himself say, carefully ignoring Ryan's eye roll at that. "Start with your name."

He sighed, "Nico Hischier. That is my real name. I tell him that." He gestured to Ryan, who didn't glance up from his phone. "I did not give it to the man that hired me. But he say I don't have to."

Taylor nodded, "You don't. But it's useful for me to have. The men had your picture, though. Fake name wouldn't have helped."

Nico sighed, "Was it a nice one? With clothes?"

Taylor snorted, "It was just your face, but yeah, not bad."

Nico nodded, "Well, that is good."

"Anything?" Taylor looked over to Ryan. 

He shook his head, "A passport, but no Canadian license. He's twenty. Born in Brig_._ Did I say that right?" He glanced over to Nico who nodded. Ryan continued, "Switzerland. Went to school in Bern. One brother, Luca, one sister, Nina, but they don't seem to be in. No record, no warrants, nothing interesting. But I only have my phone here." 

"How do you know that things?" Nico asked a little wide eyed. 

Taylor laughed a little, "If he had his laptop, he'd have a lot more." 

The bottle and glasses were placed in front of them and Ryan set his phone aside to pour all three glasses, pushing one towards Nico, "I know they tell you not to drink while you're working, but this is good, you should have some." The bottle was from Ryan's private collection, and probably cost more than Nico made in a week. 

Taylor took his glass and sipped, watching them. He couldn't miss the similarities, not too obvious, but not subtle either. If he could be accused of having a 'type', at least his type was _beautiful_, dark eyes and dark hair that stood out perfectly against pale skin. At the moment, Nico was wearing considerably fewer clothes than Ryan, but Taylor could draw comparisons there, too. Ryan leaned back against him. That was his cue that he was doing a little _too _much looking. Taylor draped his arm around his shoulders.

"Continue your story," He ordered Nico.

He sipped from his glass as he spoke, "I had to leave Switzerland. I was working-- I don't mind working, I'm very good at it. But he want... he want me to be _his.._." He shuddered. "I will never go back there, they will have to kill me to take me. Last time, I heard them say they want me alive, but I would rather die than go back."

Taylor glanced over to Ryan in time to see him nodding, they were on the same wavelength. "You can come stay with us."

Nico blinked a few times, "With... you?"

"We have spare rooms, and it's safer than the motel I know most of the dancers live out of. Nicer, too." Taylor refilled his and Ryan's glass and offered the bottle to Nico, who shook his head no. "It's not too close to this place, though, but I can have a driver bring you to work."

"You would want me to work for you." It wasn't a question, and judging by Nico's look, not something that bothered him either.

Taylor laughed, "You _do _work for me. I own this place. We weren't properly introduced, were we?" He held his hand out, and Nico sat up to shake it. "Taylor Hall. I'm your boss. This is my fiancé, Ryan." He didn't offer his hand, but gave Nico a polite nod.

Nico shook his head, running a hand through his hair, "I didn't know you. Thank you for what you did with those men. And thank you for offering me a room. I would like it. I am trying to save all the money I can. I need to go to Winnipeg."

Taylor raised an eyebrow, "Why would you want to go _there?" _

Nico blushed and ducked his head down, "For someone. He is working there."

Taylor and Ryan exchanged a quick look. They didn't know about any Swiss connection in Winnipeg, but if there was one, that's something Connor needed to know. He'd been trying to get Winnipeg in line for a while, but Andrew Ladd was damn resistant to work _for _anyone, least of all someone as young as Connor. They knew that getting Winnipeg was going to come down to getting rid of him, but if he had European support, that could be difficult. "Didn't know Ladd had any Swiss working for him."

Nico shook his head, "He is... Canadian. He is _from_ Winnipeg."

Well, that was good to know. "How did you meet him?" Ryan asked.

Nico eyed him for a moment, as if he was wondering what Ryan's angle was. But either he couldn't figure it out or he didn't see anything that bothered him because he smiled, seeming happy to get to tell the story, "He came to my country. With _un client._" He pronounced the word in French. "A very rich man, but old. He wanted more... _divertissement... _so he call my boss, and he send me. We do what he wants, mostly he just wants to watch us, but he is old and he fall asleep. And then we _talk_." He sighed, "We talk. I stay with them for... one week. But then he goes back to Winnipeg. But he calls me and we talk. I come here, we both work, save up enough so we can go... somewhere else. Together."

Ryan hadn't taken his eyes off him, and Taylor could tell that he was hooked, that he was buying into the story, "What made you pick Edmonton?"

"Pick?" Nico shook his head, "I come to Calgary with _un client_. But Härr Streit, he call me, says when I come home, I will not work anymore, he will take care of me. So I leave. I don't go back home. But they find me in Calgary, so I come here. Now they find me here." He sighed, "If I have to move again, I will use up my money I have saved."

"Why don't you have your boyfriend come here?" Ryan asked.

Nico sighed, "No money. And they _find _me here."

Ryan shook his head, "You're under Taylor's protection now, _they_ don't matter. And as for money..." He glanced over to Taylor, who nodded, "We can pay for him to come here, if you want."

Nico frowned, "But then I would owe you so much."

Ryan shrugged, "You can work it off." He may have tried to make it sound casual, but Taylor knew him too well not to see past it. Ryan remembered what being in debt was like, the terrifyingly trapped feeling of your life belonging to someone else. Even if that was a person you trusted, or _thought_ you trusted, it was still awful to feel like someone owned you. Taylor knew Ryan would never abuse a debt someone owed him, but that didn't mean Nico knew that, or could afford to believe it.

He shook his head, "I have no debt. I don't want a debt."

Ryan nodded, "I can respect that."

Nico did take them up on the guest room, but insisted on paying rent, like he did at the motel. Taylor couldn't talk him out of it, but he was able to talk him down to just a token amount, enough to ensure it wouldn't be held against him later. Taylor wasn't insulted by his suspicion, they'd all been lied to plenty of times before. That Nico found his way into Taylor and Ryan's bed was hardly surprising. He hadn't been the first to join them, but after the fallout of the incident with Jordan, Ryan hadn't wanted anyone else with them for a while. (They knew Jordan was safe, doing well even, in New York, but the whole thing was painful, and still not fully healed.) Any feelings Taylor was developing for Nico (and there were some) were nothing as compared to his love for Ryan, so there were no complaints (if the same could or couldn't be said about Jordan, from either side, they didn't talk about that any more). After it became more than just occasionally that he'd sleep with them, Taylor refused his rent. He wasn't, he pointed out, hiring them, he was spending the night with friends. It didn’t require an exchange of money.

Nico was on the phone every other day, sometimes even more. He didn't talk much about him, but Ryan had done his usual computer magic and pulled up a Manitoba birth certificate, a handful of prostitution stings where he'd been questioned, but no arrests and no warrants. Escorting wasn't technically illegal, but they all well knew that didn't always stop the cops when they wanted to arrest someone, or they wanted to be bought off. At any rate they decided the guy was who Nico said he was, and didn't interfere with his phone calls. And it was after one of those calls that he brought up Winnipeg again. He’d been living with them for months at that point, and things were comfortable and casual, exactly how Taylor wanted them to be. When Nico started sleeping with them on the regular, he went out and bought a bigger bed and _damn _was that thing comfortable. He had almost dozed off when Nico spoke up.

"Winnipeg is very bad." He said, looking up from his phone, frowning.

Ryan picked his head up, “What happened?”

Nico shrugged, “He don’t know too much but he says that things are going bad for Mr. Ladd. He is getting mean."

"Did he hit him?" Ryan's voice changed, not quite afraid, not angry, somewhere between the two. Taylor understood that even asking the question brought up a flood of memories that Ryan would rather not have. He wrapped his arm around him, and felt Ryan press back against him.

Nico sighed, “He didn’t say it, but I think so.” He looked down at his phone and back to Taylor, “I know I said no debts, but... I _have_ to get him out of there and I need your help.”

Taylor smiled, “I was waiting for you to ask. But listen to me, Nico, no debt. Ryan and I have talked about this. We want to help you because we care about you, not because we want you to owe us. We’ll only help if you promise not to see this as a debt.”

Nico looked between Taylor and Ryan, and frowned, “How can I say thank you then?”

Ryan gave Taylor an 'I told you so look' before turning his smile on Nico, “Be happy with your boyfriend. And if you _both _want to work for Taylor, that’d be nice.”

Nico laughed, “I tell him all the time how good it is to work here. Sam lets you say _no_ to a booking, we get treated like _people,_ I never seen that before. We would be happy to work for you. Is that all?”

Taylor nodded, “That’s all. Agreed?"

Nico leaned over to kiss his cheek, "Merci vilmal."

Taylor very purposefully didn't tell Connor about his plan, mostly because he knew Connor would say no. Winnipeg was on the edge as it was, and anything could push them completely away from the pan-Canadian alliance. Taylor didn't think this one escort was going to be enough to ruin their chances, but Connor was touchy about the city and would refuse the plan just because it contained the word 'Winnipeg'. So he didn't tell him anything. Taylor convinced Ryan to stay home, because he was worried that things might get difficult there and he didn't want Ryan in danger. (While Ryan could and had fired a gun, it wasn't where his talents were, and Taylor didn't want to make him do it.) The only way that Ryan would stay was if Taylor would take a bodyguard, which he eventually agreed to do.

By the time they touched down in Winnipeg, Ladd-- yes, Taylor knew his first name, but couldn't bring himself to care-- knew they were there and met them in the airport. Taylor had no idea how he was tipped off, but it could only mean there was a mole in his personal crew. He'd have to deal with that when he got home. At the moment, he had an angry looking city boss staring him down. He tried to fake a smile, holding his hand out, "I don't think we've met. I'm Taylor Hall."

Ladd didn't smile, and didn't take his hand, "I know who you are. I already told McDavid no."

Taylor shook his head, letting his hand fall back to his side, "I'm not here on behalf of Connor. I'm actually here to visit a friend of mine."

Ladd raised an eyebrow, "You are? Who?"

"I know where he's staying, I don't need a guide." He kept his tone light, as friendly as he wasn't feeling, as he tried to walk past him.

A hand wrapped around his bicep as he passed, stopping him in his tracks. "I believe I asked you a question."

Taylor took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, keeping his temper in check. Punching the asshole wasn't going to get him what he wanted. He stepped out of the grip, glad that Ladd decided not to hold on tight. "I don't see how it's your business."

"Anything that goes on in Winnipeg is my business. Especially when we have... _guests _from Edmonton. I don't see many from your city in mine." Ladd's voice was sharp, threatening. It was a lot of posturing, and Taylor was already annoyed.

He was careful to keep his hands away from his gun. He was sure Ladd had backup, but he couldn't tell which of the many people that were around them were his, probably most of them. "I didn't know your city's borders were closed. Something to hide here?"

Ladd shook his head, "Did I say they were closed?"

"Of course not. Anyway, I hear you have _fantastic _entertainment, and one in particular that I've heard is exceptional." Taylor smirked, "What my fiancé doesn't know won't hurt him."

Ladd rolled his eyes, "Is that all? You're here to cheat on your boy?"

"I can't exactly do that in Edmonton, can I? Who doesn't know my name around the scene there?" Taylor was flying by the seat of his pants, his plan _had_ been to be in and out before Ladd knew he was there, but that was foiled now. And anyway, it didn't hurt to remind him just how much power he had back home.

"Keep out of trouble." Ladd finally backed down, turning to walk away. Taylor didn't follow him, didn't take his eyes off him until Ladd was outside, getting into a waiting car. He'd had the car idling at the sidewalk, Taylor now noticed, which made him wonder if he'd planned a quick getaway after whatever could have happened if he hadn't liked Taylor's story.

He looked over to Nico, who had been keeping his distance, "You're trouble, you know that?"

Nico ducked his head, but smirked a little, "Mmhmm."

Taylor stepped up to him, slipping an arm around his waist, pulling him close, "You _liked _that, didn't you? I know you."

Nico may have been a few years younger, but he was almost the same exact height as Taylor and easily met his eyes, "What if I did?"

Taylor didn't reply, just pulled him into a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around him. Nico draped his arms over his shoulders, eagerly kissing him back. It was Taylor that pulled away first, "I wouldn't expect any less from you."

Nico laughed, stepping out of his arms, taking his hand instead. "Come. I know where the club is, I will show you."

Taylor raised an eyebrow, "You know your way around Winnipeg?"

Nico shook his head, "But he told me where it is, I can tell the taxi driver." Taylor held the cab door open for him, and true to his word, he told the driver the name of the club and could answer questions as to which one he meant by street name and nearby stores. He leaned back against Taylor, "He tells me sometimes, that he goes to get food at a place close or goes to a store on his break, there is one that has foods he likes two doors next to it."

Taylor took his phone out, sending the FaceTime request. Once he answered, he held the phone so Ryan could see both of them, "We're here, everything's fine. We had a welcoming committee in the airport, but no problems there."

Ryan frowned, "How did he know?"

Taylor shook his head, "That's what I need you to look into. It had to come from inside."

Ryan nodded, "I'll have an answer by the time you get back."

Taylor smiled, "I know you will. Miss you already."

"Miss you too. Our bed is freezing cold." Ryan shifted the phone side to side to show that's where he was laying, sprawled out in the middle. "I miss you too, Nico."

Nico laughed, "Merci. I do, too."

"But not too much? I see Taylor's hands on you. Kiss him for me." Ryan's eyes were fixed intently on him.

Nico blushed, but turned to do as he was told, leaning in, pressing his lips to Taylor's. It only took a moment for him to close his eyes and fall into the kiss, happily putting on a little show for Ryan. Taylor slid a hand down between his legs and Nico moaned softly, nearly climbing into his lap. Taylor broke the kiss to look into the phone, grinning, "We miss you, baby."

Ryan's cheeks were flushed and he smiled, "Come home soon."

"We will. All _three _of us." Taylor glanced over to Nico to see his smile at that.

"I look forward to meeting your _boyfriend_." Ryan might have put a little extra emphasis on that last word, Taylor noticed with a laugh.

The club the cab stopped in front of was fairly close to what Taylor had expected, like his own, though they probably didn't bring in quite as much money, maybe weren't kept up as well, but still nice. Taylor stepped up to the bouncer and was about to speak when he gestured him inside ahead of the waiting line. If he was surprised, he didn't let it show. It wasn't shocking that people in cities that hadn't signed on would still know exactly who he was. Taylor went to the bar while Nico picked out a table. The bartender gave him a quick once-over, and some recognition showed on his face. He shook his head very subtly to the man seated at the far end. Taylor laughed, "Good choice. Send a bottle of your best red to my table, please. Would you like a card to start my tab?"

The bartender shook his head, "I'm sure you're good for it, _sir_."

Taylor gave him a smile, sometimes it was nice to be recognized, and he headed to Nico's table, "Have you seen him?"

Nico shook his head, "I text him, he say that he is working tables today, not dancing. He doesn't like to dance." He continued to scan the room as the wine was brought and Taylor poured it for them. Neither spoke for a long moment as they waited, sipping on the wine.

"Ryan wouldn't like this one." He said, indicating his glass.

Nico shook his head, "I don't either."

"You always were picky about that kind of thing," came a voice from behind them.

Taylor startled and his hand went for his gun, but Nico was on his feet, throwing his arms around the intruder. Taylor could relax enough to get a good look at the guy, and he wasn't surprised by what he saw. His clothes were tight enough that he could tell he was a little more built than Nico, but otherwise, they were about the same size, similar dark hair, and very flushed pink cheeks. Past that, they were so wrapped up in each other and in the kiss they were sharing, Taylor couldn't tell anything else. He drank his wine and gave them a minute to get reacquainted.

It was Nico that finally pulled back, though not very far, murmuring softly to him in Swiss German. It was another moment before he remembered Taylor was there, and turned to him, his voice breathy, "I found him."

Taylor laughed, "I see that." He stood, holding his hand out, "Taylor Hall."

He quickly untangled himself from Nico, though Nico wasn't about to take his hands off him, and shook his hand firmly, "Nolan, uh, Nolan Patrick." He frowned a little, "I'm sorry, it's strange to use my real name. But Nico's told me all about you. Thank you, for everything you've done for him. And thank you even more for bringing him to come see me. This is one hell of a surprise."

Taylor nodded, "Who runs this place?"

Nolan sighed, "Bryan runs it, but he answers to Mr. Ladd. _Everyone_ answers to him. Bryan is good to us, what's happening here isn't his fault. But Mr. Ladd, he's--" He tensed up, catching sight of something over Taylor's shoulder. A look of fear crossed his face but it was quickly replaced by a mask of what Taylor was sure was supposed to be charm, but it came across as forced and hollow after having watched him with Nico. "He's here. Please pretend you're looking to hire me."

Taylor nodded and stepped closer to him, putting hand on his hip, speaking in a low voice, "That's exactly what I'm going to do." At Nolan's surprised look, he continued, "I'm going to buy you, and you're coming back to Edmonton with us."

Nolan's eyes went wider and he looked from Nico to Taylor and back to Nico again, "_Nicoli..._" But he didn't have a chance to answer before they were interrupted.

"I see you have a good eye, Mr. Hall." He could recognize Ladd's voice from the airport, but even if he hadn't he could feel Nolan tense under his hand. "He's very popular around here."

Taylor turned to face him, "Are you following me, Mr. Ladd?" The formalities were a joke, exaggerated politeness that neither of them felt.

He laughed, but it was forced and almost sinister and Taylor felt Nolan shiver. "Should I? Are you up to something in my city?"

"Of course not. I was just about to speak with _Bryan_ regarding this man's services for the evening." Taylor slipped his arm around Nolan's waist.

Ladd shook his head, "I'm afraid he's been booked."

Taylor scoffed, "I don't care. Cancel the arrangement."

"_I_ booked him and I _don't_ cancel. You might be able to throw your weight around in Edmonton, Mr. Hall, but this is Winnipeg. Around here, we don't bow down to children with a bad attitude and an itchy trigger finger. What I say goes _here_. Is that understood?" Ladd brushed his jacket back to reveal his sidearm, but Taylor didn't even do him the courtesy of glancing at it.

"You run this city _for the moment_. You can't protect your people if the Europeans want in here, and you know it. We could protect Canada _together_, but your arrogance and ego is going to bring Winnipeg crashing down. And we'll be there to pick up the pieces, though I doubt you'll be around to see it." Taylor never raised his voice, he didn't need to. These were arguments they'd both heard before, it was nothing new, no threats, just facts.

Ladd drew his gun, and Nolan and Nico shrunk back, but Taylor didn't flinch. He calmly moved to stand in front of both of them, his hands at his sides. Ladd pointed the gun right at him, "Get the fuck out of my city."

Taylor raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to shoot me? Can you afford a war with us? Let me tell you the answer to that. _No_. So put the gun down before you get yourself into more trouble than you can handle."

Ladd flexed his shoulders and stared Taylor down for a moment, but let the gun fall to his side, "Get out."

Taylor glanced back to Nico and then turned again to face Ladd, "I'm taking him with me." He gestured to Nolan.

"Like hell you are." He started to raise his gun again, but thought better of it when Taylor's hand went to the butt of his own gun.

He didn't draw, but he stared him down, almost daring him to give him an excuse to shoot. "Yes, I am. If I go back to Edmonton alone, I'm going to take your city. And there's not a damn thing you can do to stop me. Your choice: Do you want him or do you want Winnipeg?" Ladd started to raise his gun again, but Taylor had already drawn his, "What was that about an itchy trigger finger?"

Ladd took in several slow deep breaths, weighing his options. "Take him. He wasn't that good anyway. But if you step foot in Winnipeg again, I _will_ shoot you and McDavid can do what he thinks his has to. Now get the fuck out, and I won't say it again."

Taylor didn't take his eyes off Ladd but gestured that Nico and Nolan head for the door and he followed after them. He paused at the bar, trying to look casual as he paid his tab. The bartender wasn't cheating him, but the bottle he barely drank from was overpriced for its quality. He wasn't surprised. Taylor turned for the door and while he was almost positive Ladd wasn't the sort that would shoot someone in the back, he kept him in his sights until he could close the door of the club behind him. It was only then that he let out the breath he'd been holding.

He turned to Nolan, who he noticed was holding tight to Nico's hand, "Do you have anything in your apartment that you want?"

Nolan nodded, "I have a few things in my room at the motel and some clothes." He glanced down at himself, "I guess I'll have to leave the clothes I wore to work today." He glanced over to Nico, "It was your shirt. The SC Bern one."

Nico huffed, "I _liked _that shirt on you."

Taylor rolled his eyes, "You want to go back and get it?"

Nico glanced at Taylor then looked back to Nolan, "I'll buy you another one."

Taylor hailed a cab and let Nolan give the driver directions to the motel. The place they pulled up to wasn't too bad, but Taylor had no intentions of staying long. He gestured for Nolan to go quickly. He didn't know how much time 'get out' bought him, but he didn't think it was much. He barely had time to complete that thought when Nolan was sliding back into the cab with a large duffle bag in hand.

He shrugged at Taylor's raised eyebrow, "The motel gets raided a lot. We have to be ready to grab and go to another one. If we're working when it happens, the off duty guys will grab all the bags they can, so if you don't have everything in it, you lose things." He unzipped a side pocket and pulled out a framed picture, handing it to Nico. "I put that away every afternoon, because I almost forgot it once when we were leaving in a hurry."

Nico tipped the picture so Taylor could see it. It was clearly taken by one of them, the angle said 'selfie'. Nolan's eyes were closed as he leaned in to kiss Nico's cheek. But Nico's eyes were wide open and locked on the camera, though the expression was clear that his focus was on the man beside him, not himself. The look was utterly unmistakable, that was a man _in love_. Nico handed the picture back to him, "That was your last day in Bern."

Nolan nodded, "The day you told me you love me. I thought that was the best-worst day of my life, but today is threatening to top it. How are we going to pay him back?" He gestured slightly to Taylor. He was talking like he wasn't in the car with him, Taylor noticed amused, but he let it go.

Nico quickly shook his head, "We don't have to." At Nolan's skeptical look, he kept talking, "Taylor and Ryan want to help us. Believe me, I thought it was crazy too! But they mean it. They are good people. We can work for them, it will be like I told you about. But I think... I think if you didn't want to work... I think they would not make you." He glanced over to Taylor to get confirmation.

Taylor nodded, "We don't force _anyone _into that line of work. You can do it because you want to, or because you like the money, or because you like the work, but you won't do it because I have a gun to your head. I can get you another job, if you don't like that one."

Nolan considered it a moment, and Taylor was sure he was trying to decide if it was a trap or not. Finally, he looked over to him, "I don't like to dance. But I don't mind escorting, whoring, whatever you want to call it, I don't care. I can do that for you. I'm _really _good at it."

Taylor nodded, "Good. I'll have Sam get you set up. Nico can show you how we work. He stays with us, you're welcome to join him. His room is big enough for two." He didn't mention how Nico had been sleeping in his bed with him and Ryan. He wasn't sure how much Nolan knew, and it wasn't going to be the one that spilled that secret, if it was one.

But Nolan laughed, "You mean I don't get an invitation into your bed?"

Taylor smiled, "It's not big enough for four, but my fiancé and I won't turn you down, if you want to visit."

"Good to know." He leaned back against Nico, closing his eyes as Nico ran his hand through his hair.

This time the trip through the Winnipeg airport wasn't eventful and the plane ride back to Edmonton was relaxing, at least for Nico and Nolan, who curled up together like cats. No one talked much, there wasn't a lot to say. As far as Taylor was concerned this episode was over, but he knew that was wishful thinking. Unfortunately, the two hour plane ride was just enough time for Ladd to get on the phone with Connor, which, Taylor assumed, was why he was waiting for them in the Edmonton airport. Leon, of course, was with him, but Taylor didn't expect him to do much talking. He didn't usually.

"Miss me that much?" Taylor offered a smile that Connor didn't return.

"We need to have a talk." Connor's voice was even, his tone betrayed nothing. All the same, he wouldn't waste his time picking Taylor up at the airport if he didn't have something serious to discuss. Taylor could guess what it was.

He turned to Nico, "Take Nolan back to the house, tell Ryan about what happened. I'll be there as soon as I'm done."

Nico shot a worried glance at Connor but nodded, taking Nolan's hand to lead him out to call for a taxi. Taylor watched them for as long as he could before turning back to Connor.

"Alright, ready to go." He tried to keep his tone light, but it sounded strained, even to his own ears. He had spent the plane ride wondering what the fallout would be from that stunt he had just pulled. None of his thoughts had been pleasant ones. And now Connor's tone and body language told him he was probably right about that. He may have been one of his best friends, but he did have a city, and eventually a country, to run.

Connor lead him out to where his car was parked, and opened the backdoor. Taylor got in first and Connor got in beside him, while Leon took the wheel. Connor waited until they were on the road before he spoke, "Ladd called me. You knew he would."

Taylor nodded, "I had a pretty good idea he would."

Connor sighed, "I trust you. You know that. I trust your judgement. _Usually_. But I just... don't know what you were thinking. And I really don't like it when people call me, angry, and I don't know what they're talking about, because my _best_ capo didn't even tell me he was leaving the city. What happened?"

Taylor took a deep breath, "Well... Nico--"

Connor cut him off, "I _knew _it had something to do with him. After all the money you spent smoothing that over with Streit, he's got you mixed up in something else? He's the most _expensive _stripper you've ever hired."

Taylor wanted to tell him it was more than that now, but something held him back. He hadn't told Nico about the conversation with Mark Streit that he had soon after he came to live with him. And he hadn't told him how much they had to pay him to allow Nico to stay in Canada. He knew that Nico could _never _afford to pay that off, and he didn't want to see him try. It was just money, Taylor had more of it than he could ever spend in one lifetime. But because it was dealing with a European power, he had told Connor about it, just so he knew. He hadn't seemed to mind, he said that if Taylor wanted to waste his money buying a Swiss stripper, that was his business. Taylor had let him think it ended at that.

Taylor had been in Edmonton a lot longer than Connor, but he had never wanted to run the place. After Shawn became a permanent resident of the Edmonton Institute, Taylor supposed he could have stepped into the position, but that was too much of a headache and his clubs were enough to keep him busy. Besides, he'd seen what went down between Shawn and his boyfriend (also named Ryan), and the thought of being forced to send _his _Ryan away for his own safety wasn't worth anything leading the city could bring him. Leadership was too much risk, not enough reward. So when Connor showed signs of wanting to lead, Taylor threw in his lot with him, despite the fact he was so young. And it had been the right choice, Connor really had a chance of uniting if not _all _of Canada, at least a good portion of it.

Taylor sighed, "I went to Winnipeg to buy an escort that works for Ladd."

Connor just stared at him, "You flew into hostile territory, to... buy a hooker?"

Taylor nodded, as if that made perfect sense.

"Don't you have enough _here_?"

"He's Nico's boyfriend. And Nico was worried because things are going bad in Winnipeg, so he wanted to get him out of there before everything collapsed." Taylor explained, "I had every intention of just going in there and paying a fair price for him. Ladd had other ideas."

Connor groaned, "So you pissed him off and _took _the hooker?"

Taylor rolled his eyes, "He was waving his dick around and he pissed _me_ off. He fucking _drew down _on me. I didn't shoot him, you should be proud of me. I even paid my bar tab despite the fact he overcharges for crappy wine."

Connor sat up straighter, "Wait. He _drew _on you? He neglected to mention _that_."

Taylor nodded, "Pointed it right at me."

"Thank you for not shooting him." Connor shook his head. "Alright. This is still a strike against you, Taylor. And it's your second one. You know damn well that you _can't_ go into Winnipeg and piss off Andrew Ladd. I get _why _you did, but I don't need the headache. Any chance of recruiting him is gone now, which means the only way we get Winnipeg is _war_. We'll win it but it will be bloody. Your hooker wasn't worth that. You will _not _have a damn thing to do with Ladd or Winnipeg again, get me?"

Taylor tried to look admonished, but he didn't feel it, "Got you."

Connor leaned forward, speaking hushed German to Leon. Taylor didn't bother trying to listen in, even if he could have understood any of it, he didn't care what they were saying. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He was actively fighting off the urge to fly back up to Winnipeg and _actually _shoot Ladd. He wasn't surprised that he'd called his boss and bitched about him, but it was petty and annoying, and pissed Taylor off. all the same. He hadn't _wanted _to get into anything with him, he was willing to pay instead of fight, and it really was Ladd's fault that he couldn't, but in the end he was the one that heard about it from his boss, and Ladd gets no repercussions? That didn't seem right.

Leon stopped the car in front of Taylor's house and he started to get out, but Connor put a hand on his arm, "Don't make me do something neither of us want. It was hard enough with Jordan.... I don't want to lose you too."

Taylor sighed, "I get it. I'm on thin ice."

Connor nodded and let go of his arm. Taylor looked at him for a minute before heading into his house. They both knew at that point that it wasn't going to end there. Even as he walked through the door, part of Taylor wondered if he should tell Ryan to start packing. He didn't, of course, and life settled back down for a while. Taylor managed his clubs and Ryan did whatever it was he did on the computer that seemed to make money just appear out of nowhere. Nolan started working outcall mostly while Nico danced at the club, and they lived in the room that had previously been Nico's. They talked about getting their own place, but both agreed that the safety outweighed the desire for their own space. Occasionally, one or the other would find their way into Taylor and Ryan's bed, (and on one memorable night, both of them) but for the most part, everyone slept with their respective partners, and that worked out well.

Taylor kept himself busy and mostly stayed out of trouble. But as it always seemed to go, trouble found him. He had been asleep when the knock on his bedroom door startled him awake. No one ever knocked within the household. Very few people were allowed in the house at this hour anyway. Nico and Nolan never joined them this late, and if there was an emergency the security staff wouldn't bother knocking. Ryan picked his head up, blinking rapidly to wake himself up, and looked to Taylor with the same confusion he felt. With a sigh, Taylor slid out of bed, stepping into a pair of boxers before he answered the door. If it was some kind of emergency, he really didn't want to face it naked.

Nico was on the other side of the door, looking distressed, "Come, please." He turned, leading Taylor down the hallway to his room. Nolan was laying on the bed curled around a pillow, wearing just a pair of shorts. Taylor could see bruises already coloring across his back and shoulders, down his arm, and on his thighs. The beating was clearly very thorough. His face was pressed into the pillow, but he picked his head up when he heard Taylor curse. He had what would become a black eye, and a lip that had been split, and he quickly buried his face in the pillow again.

Taylor sat on the edge of the bed, putting a hand on Nolan's arm. He felt him wince a little, but he didn't move away, "Who did this?"

Nolan sighed, "My client." His voice wasn't quite right, and Taylor realized that he'd been crying. "He said it was a message from Mr. Ladd."

Taylor closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He knew _something _would happen, but he didn't think it would be _this_. Taylor had made enough examples of people that tried to put hands on his dancers or his escorts in ways that weren't allowed. It was well known in the city that if you touch incorrectly, you were going to pay a very heavy price. But this was different. This message was for him specifically and he had used Nolan's body to send it. The anger that boiled up inside him at such a _cowardly _move was hard to control. "I'll take care of it." He growled. "Did you book everything through Sam?"

Nolan nodded, "Nothing _seemed _off until he started hitting me. Even that...." He shrugged a little and winced, "But he wouldn't _stop_..."

Nico stepped back into the room with a baggie of ice and climbed onto the bed beside him. He pressed the ice to Nolan’s eye. Taylor was unsurprised that he was taking care of his face first. The rest could be covered if he wanted to work at the club while he was healing, but his face was his best selling point, at least when he was clothed. It was a common adage in the business than you never bruised the face of the 'merchandise' because it lowered their price. The hits to the face were designed to force him out of work, at least for a while.

Nico looked up at Taylor, “He could have killed him.”

Taylor shook his head, “He was sending me a message, not starting a war."

"You'd go to war for Nolan?" Nico looked surprised.

Taylor reached out to brush Nolan's hair back, noticing more bruises on his cheek, "You are both under my protection. I'm going to go fuck up Winnipeg because of this. You can imagine what I'd do if it was worse. So can they." He leaned down to press a soft kiss to Nolan's cheek, "You'll be taking a week off. That's an order." Nolan murmured quietly, but Taylor had a pretty good idea Nico had given him something that was now taking full effect. Taylor stroked his hair a moment longer before getting up, "You take some time off too, Nico, to take care of him."

Nico gave a grateful nod at that and slipped off the bed, meeting Taylor by the door. He lowered his voice, "You'll kill him? The man that did this to him?"

Taylor nodded, "I'll do it myself."

Nico sighed, his shoulders dropping with relief, "Merci." He leaned up to kiss him, almost chastely.

From behind him, Nolan's voice was soft, "_Nicoli...._?"

Nico sighed, turning back to curl up with him, gently kissing the purpling bruises. Taylor watched them for a moment before heading back to his bedroom. Ryan was sitting up in bed, now wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt. His laptop was open in front of him, his cellphone was beside him, and Taylor's gun was on the nightstand. Ryan hadn't left the room, knowing that Taylor wouldn't have wanted him to, but instead assessed his network for information on whatever the problem might be. They had an emergency plan and Ryan had followed it to the letter.

Taylor sat beside him, "Anything?" He gestured to the computer screen. He couldn't make heads or tails of what was there, but clearly the jumble of code and programs and sites made sense to Ryan, who didn't look at him as he clicked and typed between them.

He shook his head, "Nothing out of the ordinary. The chatter is quiet. What happened?"

Taylor turned to rest his head against Ryan's shoulder, "Nolan had the shit beat out of him. Guy was a client, said the order came from Ladd."

Ryan tensed, "You won't let me go with you, will you?"

Taylor sighed, "No, I need all three of you to stay here, safe. I'm going to go bust some heads and come home." He picked up the phone and sifted through the contacts until he found the one he wanted. Yes, it was some ungodly hour of the morning but he didn't care.

A groggy voice answered, "Gagner."

"Sam, Taylor. You have booking information for Nolan Patrick tonight?" He asked.

There was a pause, "Yeah, of course. Something happen?"

Taylor snorted, "You think I'd call if nothing did? He got the shit kicked out of him."

Another pause. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck."

"You don't have the info." It wasn't a question.

Sam sighed, "No, I have it. The guy called last minute, asked for Nolan by name, knew his usual hotel, his numbers. I figured he was a repeat, so..." He sighed again, "I didn't have Ryan verify the information." It wasn't policy for all of their escorts unless Sam felt funny about the client, but always with Nico and Nolan.

Taylor groaned, "So it's probably all fake."

"Probably. I'll send Ryan everything I have. It was a busy night. Fuck, I'm sorry." He paused, "How is Nolan?"

"He'll be okay. He's out for a week, cancel whatever you have for him _and_ Nico. Anyone gets pissy about that, tell them I'll come by and apologize_ personally_." Taylor was getting a headache and he knew it was going to get worse before it got better.

Sam scoffed, "That'll do it. Anything else I can help you with?"

Taylor sighed, “Yeah, arrange to have a couple people watching my place, and tell them not let _anyone _in.”

“Anyone?” Sam tone suggested he knew _exactly _what Taylor meant by that.

He felt Ryan’s eyes on him, but he kept his eyes on the wall he’d been having the conversation at, “_Anyone_.”

Sam sighed, “I’ll tell them, but—“

“I know. Keep in touch.” Taylor hung up and tossed his phone aside, “Don’t say it, Ryan.”

He closed his laptop and set it aside before holding his hand out, “I love you.”

Taylor's shoulders dropped as he moved closer to him, threading their fingers together, “I love you too, and it’ll be fine. You know I can’t just let Ladd do this and get away with it. We both know Connor is going to be pissed, but I have to do it. I just don’t want him retaliating using you. Our people will make sure that you’re safe.”

“From _Connor?” _Ryan stared at him.

“From _anyone_.” Taylor knew how quickly Ryan and Connor had become friends. He may have given Taylor more rank, but he was closer to Ryan, and one had a lot to do with the other. Ryan worked for Connor as often as he did for Taylor, but for someone with his skills, that wasn't all that unusual. “I’ll be back in a couple days.” But even as he was saying it, Taylor knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

When Taylor kissed Ryan goodbye before leaving for the airport the next day, they both knew it had to be a good one. They'd made a plan that if it was too hot for Taylor to come back to Edmonton right away, he'd lay low in Burnaby until Ryan could meet him there. But Taylor knew that if he needed to lay low, it was going to be from his own boss and British Colombia was under his control, so it wouldn't be safe. In reality, if Connor couldn't understand why he had to do what he was going to do, there wasn't anywhere he could hide, he was a dead man, but there was no sense in letting Ryan worry about that. So they made a plan and once the guards were in place, Taylor left.

As they suspected, Ryan reported that all of the information Sam sent him on Nolan's attacker was fake. The name and phone number lead to dead ends, the credit card was a burner, and the address was a shopping center. Ryan couldn't find a single trace of who he had been, but it didn't matter, Taylor knew who had sent him, and that's who he was flying to Winnipeg to talk to, not the flunkie that did his dirty work. The problem was that he knew full well Ladd wouldn't be in a chatty mood, he had promised to kill Taylor if he stepped foot in his city again.

Taylor sat in the airport waiting for his flight, staring at his phone. He _should _call Connor, give him a heads up of what was about to happen. The problem was, he didn't know exactly _what_ was about to happen. He only knew that he couldn't let Ladd get away with hurting one of his people, especially not that one, one he damn well knew was _personally _under his protection, who lived under his roof. If he allowed this to go unpunished, the next target might be Ryan, and he couldn't stand the thought of it. He picked up his phone and texted.

<< _Going out of town for a couple days. _

>> _Where?_

<< _Ladd had one of my people beat badly. I'm going to repay the favor. _

He didn't wait for a reply, flipped his phone into airplane mode and boarded his flight.

. . . .

"How could you let him do that?!" Connor fists were clenched so hard, he was nearly shaking.

Ryan sighed, "I couldn't stop him. You saw what happened to Nolan."

Connor took up his pacing again, "A hooker. All of this over a fucking hooker!"

"He's not just a hooker. Nico and Nolan are... family. It's not just a client that got too rough with an escort. Ladd knew that Nolan was under our protection, he knows that he's important to us, and he did it anyway. He did it _because _of that. It's the _disrespect_ that Taylor can't stand for. And can you blame him for that?" Ryan had all of his reasons ready even before Connor showed up on his doorstep. He knew he'd find out sooner or later.

Connor looked at him, "You'd defend him to the last, wouldn't you?"

Ryan gave him half a smile, "You know I would."

"Jordan took the fall last time. But with this one, there's no one here to blame but Taylor. I can't have my people running around the country pissing off other leaders. I _told _him that. I told him he wasn't allowed step foot in Winnipeg again. What do you expect me to do?" Connor sighed heavily, "I don't want to kill him, Ryan, you know that. But what do you suggest I do?"

Ryan hung his head for a moment, but then looked up at him, "Exile us. We won't put up a fight."

Connor shook his head, "That's not enough. Not this time."

. . . .

Taylor didn't know if Ladd was dead or alive by the time he was on the plane back to Edmonton, but it didn't matter. The whole thing had gone to hell so much faster than he'd expected. He was met in the airport by an armed guard, who took him directly to Ladd's office. After complimenting him on the size of his balls, Ladd pulled a gun on him. Taylor managed to get the first shot off by sheer luck. He knew Ladd didn't expect him to be carrying concealed, but private planes were necessary when you absolutely couldn't walk into an enemy airport unarmed. Taylor had never been involved in a running gun battle and hoped to never be involved in another one. He had no idea how he managed to get out of that building alive, with nothing more than a graze wound on his arm. He'd emptied his clip and he thought he saw at least one of the bullets make contact. He had the whole two hour flight back home to think about how he'd spent four hours in the air, to spend about twenty minutes shooting and being shot at. There was no point in trying to hide now, he hadn't thought about going anywhere except home.

Connor met him in the airport, just like he knew he would. He was alone, which surprised Taylor, but he supposed he didn't need anyone else to know that what he had to do was difficult for him. Taylor had enough confidence in their friendship to know that killing him _would _be difficult for Connor. He slid into the passenger's seat of his car, not having said a single word. Connor started driving, taking them out of the city. Better places to dispose of the body out there, Taylor assumed.

After a while, Connor broke the silence, "I would have said you were my most loyal man, after Leon."

Taylor nodded, "I am. You know I did what I had to do."

"You could have come to me." Connor offered.

Taylor scoffed, "You would have said no."

Connor sighed, "Yeah, I would have. And you knew that. And that makes it worse. I didn't get a chance to give the order, but you defied it anyway. You've left me with no option."

Taylor took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he'd joined up as a teenager, he always knew that he wasn't going to end up in a retirement home, that his death was always going to be violent. He might have told himself that _his _crimes were ones that made people happy, and so he didn't deserve the same end as others might, but they were all criminals and they were all going out either with a bullet or in a cell. And he had always known which way _his_ end would come. But he never would have guess it would have come at the hands of one of his best friends. He supposed he should have been afraid, but he wasn't. He knew full well that going to Winnipeg would bring down a death sentence, but he couldn't let Ladd get away with it. He hoped he'd killed him, but he supposed he would never know.

He didn't speak for a long moment, just watched Connor drive. It struck Taylor how young he was. He was so good at leading, at rallying people behind him, getting people to trust him, that sometimes he forgot that he was just a few years over twenty. He knew Connor had killed before, he'd seen it, but he also knew how each death impacted him. Taylor was one of the few that did, that Connor had talked to, opened up to. He knew how much everything that went down with Jordan had bothered him, as much as he knew this day would haunt him. He felt worse about Connor having to kill him than he was feeling about dying. That was, until he started to think about who he was leaving behind.

Taylor's voice was quiet, "Connor..." He stopped, taking a breath to compose himself. The last thing he wanted to do was cry. "Take care of Ryan. Protect him. Please. If my loyalty means anything to you... that's all I ask." He wasn't going to plead for his own life, there was no point to that.

Connor's shoulders dropped, "I will." He glanced over to him, "Regrets?"

Taylor thought about that for a moment, "Two. That I don't know if Ladd is dead. And that I didn't get to marry Ryan."

"Is that it?" Connor asked.

Taylor nodded, "That's it."

Connor put the car into park, but Taylor didn't bother to look at where they were, it didn't really matter. He kept his eyes on Connor as he spoke, "Ladd is dead. But the capo I spoke to has decided they're going to tell people that he _left_, because they don't want the war. He said things were going badly there and it was time for new leadership anyway. He said they've eliminated everyone that knows you were there, and they're going to keep Edmonton out of it. The rest is his problem now."

Taylor let out a slow breath. That was good to know, both that he had killed him and that it wouldn't mean war for Edmonton. All in all, having one regret in life wasn't too bad. "Good."

Connor opened his door, and stepped outside and Taylor followed suit. He didn't recognize where they were, but that wasn't surprising. All he could see were trees and one looked the same as another. It was the kind of place that could have been a Canadian postcard if there was snow. It was too bad there wasn't any, the place clearly needed it. Taylor almost laughed at the way his mind was working. He was about to die, and that's what he was thinking about. People talk about their life flashing before their eyes, but not him, he was thinking about snow. And Ryan, of course.

"Do you want my gun?" Taylor asked, keeping his hands at his sides. He wasn't going to fight back, but he wasn't sure how these things were usually done. The one time he'd done it himself, Shawn had set the whole thing up, and all he'd done was pulled the trigger.

Connor shook his head, drawing his own gun and looking it over. It wouldn't do well for either of them to have it jam in this moment. Connor took a deep breath, holding the gun in both hands, and pointed it at him. They stood in that tableau as everything fading to silence, narrowing to just the two of them, that moment. They were both looking each other in the eye, head held high, emotionless. Taylor wouldn't show fear, there was no reason to. He _wasn't _afraid, he was resigned. It was over, he accepted that. But Ryan would be safe, and that was all that mattered. Whatever Connor was feeling was neatly tucked away, hidden behind the mask that someone who had to make difficult choices was forced to wear. The moment went on for what seemed like hours, perfectly still and silent.

Connor's voice shattered the calm that had settled over them, "Leave."

Taylor blinked at him, the word not processing at all. "What?"

"_Leave. _Leave Edmonton, leave Canada. Never come back." Connor's gun hand was shaking just enough that Taylor noticed it. "After all you've done for me, for this city, I owe you a lot, and I don't want to kill you. But you can't get away with what you did. So get out. Go far away. Start over and forget everything here."

Taylor nodded slowly, "Okay. Yeah... we can do that."

Connor shook his head, "No, _you._ Ryan is staying here. He's _safe _here."

Taylor's breath caught. _That _was his punishment. It was never about killing him, it was about making him _pay_ for what he'd done, and Connor knew exactly how to do it. The whole scene had been for dramatic effect, to scare him, to remind him of what Connor could do, not to him, but to Ryan, if he had to. Taylor had people, he had very loyal people. Connor knew that. Taylor's death would have been a rallying point for them, and Connor probably couldn't have fended them all off, his grip on Canada was tenuous enough, infighting would be too much. But keeping Taylor alive, and keeping Ryan under his control, made sure that none of that would happen. And keeping them apart meant that Taylor would suffer for what he did. Taylor had underestimated him and he was going to pay heavily for that.

"Connor..."

He still had the gun pointed at him, "Your own life doesn't mean as much to you as his does, I know that. He'll be safe in Edmonton, I'll make sure of it. As long as you stay away. Any contact with him, _at all, _and he's the one that pays the price for what you did. Am I clear?"

It would have been much more merciful to just shoot him, but of course that was the point. "Yes."

"Take whatever you want, your money, your people, your things, you have twenty-four hours." Connor holstered his gun, but never took his eyes off Taylor, "No contact with Ryan. You will be watched."

"Can I say goodbye to him?" He asked.

Connor shook his head, "Leon took him out of town. He'll be back tomorrow, you'll be gone. I'll tell him what happened."

Taylor doubted that Connor was going to tell him the truth, but maybe that was better for the moment. He knew Ryan was going to have a hard time believing that Taylor would leave him of his own free will. And no matter what Connor told him, a lie or the truth, Ryan was going to be upset. But maybe if Connor lied, and told him that it was Taylor's idea to run, it would be possible for Ryan to deal with it, for him not to want to make contact and put himself in danger. Anger was an easier emotion to live with than hurt, at least for as long as he would have to. It _wouldn't_ be forever, he promised himself, he willed Ryan to believe. Taylor had already decided that he'd find a way to get Ryan out of there, no matter how long it took.

But this time, he had to make a plan _first_. 

**Author's Note:**

> Technically, this whole story is backstory to the next part in this series.


End file.
